


Avail

by xylazine



Series: FFXIV write 2020 [10]
Category: Final Fantasy XIV
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-09-10
Updated: 2020-09-10
Packaged: 2021-03-06 20:54:54
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 325
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26395258
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/xylazine/pseuds/xylazine
Summary: The Warrior of Darkness struggles to contain the Light from the Lightwardens.
Series: FFXIV write 2020 [10]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1906261
Kudos: 1
Collections: Final Fantasy Write Prompt Challenge 2020





	Avail

It was to no avail. The struggles they'd faced, the friends they'd lost. It was all for nothing. Their battle would end here, away from everything they'd ever known. And for what? Such was the tragedy of heroes. 

No. 

Romola struggled to her feet. She couldn't give up, she refused to let the light consume her. She'd liberated countries, she'd fought primals, she'd killed Ascians. This would not destroy her. 

The aether she'd amassed from the lightwardens pushed at her, fighting for dominance. She was strong but this was testing her limits. She was just one person, one soul that burned a bit brighter than the others but just one person nonetheless. 

She dropped to one knee, the light trying to change her very being, make her into one of them. The burden was too much for her to bear alone. It tore at her soul, clawing at her humanity. 

Just when she thought she could handle no more, the pressure eased just the slightest. She took in a long breath as she fought back against the light. She wasn't sure how it was happening, but the twisting pain of her changing form was abating. 

The world that had been drowned out by her internal battle with the aether returned. She could hear her friends again. She glanced up, the Exarch filling her vision. Whatever he was doing, however he was sharing her burden, was giving her back her strength. 

And then it came rushing back as her friend fell to the ground. The world dulled, Light filling every one of her senses. Emet-Selch. The Ascian seeked to gain control once again. She wouldn't lose. She couldn't afford to become a sin eater. 

Another flurry of pain whipped through her, setting her nerves ablaze. She was becoming one of them, a being that should be felled before it was let loose on the world. She was descending into a darkness she'd always sought to destroy.


End file.
